CURRENT AUDITS

Renew Atlanta Bond Program

City Council passed 15-R-3343, which required the City Auditor to establish a capital project and construction audit function to monitor the Renew Atlanta Infrastructure Bond program for its five-year lifespan. Our past three reports assessed contract terms, design of program controls, roadway resurfacing work, and fire station renovations. Pursuant to resolution 18-R-3297, our current audit will review the expenditures of the Renew Atlanta Bond/TSPLOST Programs. Our review will include all projects that have been completed or are in progress, total expenditures for the programs, projects funded by the Renew Atlanta Bond premium, and remaining balances in the capital funds.​Water Quality Testing

The Department of Watershed Management’s Office of Water Treatment & Reclamation had the second highest risk score in our 2017 risk assessment. The office is responsible for operating the city’s drinking water plants and storage facilities, and complying with all applicable regulatory requirements, including the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act. Media has reported elevated lead levels in drinking water at several Atlanta Public Schools. According to the city’s 2016 Water Quality Report, the city has no lead service lines, but does have some lead joints. The department tests water samples at the source, treatment plants, distribution center and consumer taps. The department’s Office of Watershed Protection monitors and reports compliance with state and federal regulations independently of operations. Our audit will review the process for testing and reporting on water quality.

Overtime

The city spent $54.2 million on overtime in fiscal year 2017, double what it spent in fiscal year 2013. Our audit will review patterns in overtime spending by department and employee; assess the relationship between overtime and productivity; and examine controls over the use and distribution of overtime.​

Procurement: Expired Contracts and Cooperative Agreements

We plan to review whether the city has paid on expired contracts. We will examine the city’s administration of contracts regarding amendments, renewals, extensions, and expiration. We will also identify roles and responsibilities of procurement and user agencies. We will evaluate the completeness of data sources used by contract administrators to monitor the statuses of existing agreements. We plan to measure the population of expired contracts and the amounts of potential associated payments. We also plan to assess whether the city obtains competitive pricing on cooperative contracts.

Atlanta Police Department: Body Worn Cameras

Body cameras enhance transparency and accountability for interactions between citizens and the police. The Atlanta Police Department started deploying body worn cameras in 2016, starting in zone 4 and rolling them out to the other patrol zones throughout 2017. The chief of police expressed interest in a performance audit to assess compliance with the department’s policy and to recommend performance metrics for monitoring.